Epicus
by groovyuv
Summary: The first story in this saga, following Harry as he trains. Most of the story will take place in different countries, later on it will be heavy on the politics and new forms of magic.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

There was planning to be done. That much he knew. Harry had to plan the rest of his life out because between now and his battle with Voldemort, that was his life. There might not be anything else. There was so much he didn't know, about magic, people, his world.

But he had never had control of what he wanted before. Dumbledore was always there to make the right decisions for him. As much as he hated to admit it he had come to rely on the headmaster in the last six years. Even though before Hogwarts he had been alone, he now was used to being able to rely on others and have them rely on him, it was a strange feeling. Now though Dumbledore was gone, killed by Snape. The man was, by now, well hidden in the dark lord's ranks and untraceable.

He had to stay at Privet Drive for another week then he would be rid of the muggle household. The muggles he lived with were your normal muggles he supposed, he hadn't had much contact with the muggle world since his eleventh year, they hated things they didn't know, they spoiled there only son, they gossiped, all around normal people. He though was Harry Potter, destined to be abnormal. They did not understand him so they hated, or in more recent years, feared him. Just the same, he sighed, he didn't want to know what kind of man he would have been if raised by the overly normal people.

Then he had to attend the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, a curse-breaker and a part human respectively. That meant being around his friends, who he would need for his upcoming journey. The only part that was not going to be fun was the meeting with Ginny, which is going to be awkward. He had dumped her back in the spring so she wouldn't be a target, and she would doubtful be angry, as red heads were wont. He had moved on; he knew she wouldn't be able to survive being his girl. That would need someone of power and determination, not a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl.

His friends would need to come with him, that he knew as well. On a journey around the world he would need companionship in the least, and he knew they would take the same training he received. They would be in no more danger then he. He wondered who should come, Hermione of course, Ron would not be left behind, Neville should be welcome, and he should bring one more to balance it out. He supposed he could bring Ginny but again he couldn't just go back to the way things were, he needed to know what was going on, not forget his duties in a sea of passion. Besides he barley knew the girl, he had gone out with her for the last half of the year, but before that he had had all of two conversations with her. Then there was the fact Mrs. Weasley would chain the girl to the fence if she even thought of going. Who else of any power or intelligence would come, Luna, perhaps? That was a good pick, he would ask Ron and Hermione at the wedding when he discussed his plans.

He had decided he would go to Egypt to study old magic, and look for clues about the horcruxes. That was the core of the problem, those blasted bits of soul needed to be reunified with the host body, instead of scattered throughout Britain. He didn't know how to destroy a horcrux, he had destroyed one back in the day, but it was made of paper and he had used a powerful poison to disrupt it. If the one rumored to be a cup was verified then he would not be able to stab it with a tooth. Dumbledore had destroyed one and it left him crippled, he did not want the same to happen to him. But horcruxes were not something that was taught in normal schools, the government frowns on ritual murder to split apart your soul and become immortal. It was most likely through trail and error, and a high level of competence in dealing with souls, that one found the ritual that created a horcrux. If he could discover how to make a horcrux, he could then reverse the process without harm to himself. So he had to travel, find wizards who could teach him and hopefully some old tomes of highly powerful magic.

That was the best plan he could come up with. He would see what Hermione and the others thought of it. He raised himself from the park bench he had inhabited in deep thought for the last twenty minutes. He had a week to enjoy himself, or be bored, whatever he wanted. He wondered if the local teenagers would accept him without much fuss for a week or so. He had barely gained his footing when he was pushed back down into the seat by a boy, surrounded by several other boys and girls. " Umm… Hi?"

"Who are you? Haven't seen you around before." The obvious leader said.

"Harry Potter, you wouldn't see me around much, I go to a boarding school up in Scotland and only hang around here in the summer."

: "Your that little kid that Dudley used to beat up back in primary aren't you?" A girl from the back accused.

"Yea that's me. Now what do you guys want, besides my stimulating conversation."

"We want to use you as bait. We want you to attract your cousin and his gang over to you in the park tonight, then when they least expect it, we're goin' to beat the snot out of em'. We thought you would attract their attention being a scrawny little kid…"

"Scrawny little kid! I happen to be seventeen years old asshole. And if you think I'll help you your retarded." He stood to leave, but was pushed back into the seat, and punched in the gut for his trouble. As he doubled over gasping, the kids all laughed.

"You'll help us, or we'll just beat you instead of Dudley. And as I was saying your perfect bait, he hates you." He said smirking.

"He fears me, he won't go near me. He knows why I go to Brutus' Center for Incurably Criminal Boys." The little gang looked anxious at this, but the leader kept the smirk.

"Afraid? Of you? Somehow I doubt that." He leaned in close to Harry's face, who chose this moment to act, pulling something from his pocket, he pulled the kids head to the side by the hair and held the object to his neck. The other kids drew back in fear and shouted at him to let the kid go, seeing the knife pressed against their leaders throat. Harry pressed down until blood came to the surface, then released the kid.

"Go home children, I don't want to play." They shot off with a last look of fear at the dark haired, and apparently dangerous kid. He shook his head at their backs, two gangs of bullies in town? That's to bad, at least they knew when to step off.

He headed back to the little house that had been his unloving home for his entire life. Not that it was home, if anywhere was home it was Hogwarts but he was leaving that behind to. He had a week to waste and nothing to do. He looked at the knife he had used on the kid, it was an interesting thing he had found of Dudley's, apparently if you pushed a button the blade came popping out. He might as well have some sort of protection since he didn't want to use magic until he became of age, or close enough to it that it wouldn't matter, he knew he could use it anyway, they would expel him, but he had already decided not to return, they would snap his wand but he could get another one. Besides he was the boy-who-lived, the chosen one. They weren't going to try anything after all that has happened.

He could only hope to find the answers he was looking for in Egypt, if he was gone to long he didn't know what would happen the England. It could be buried under the sea and he wouldn't have been there to defend it.

* * *

He sighed as he heard his Uncle yell at him from the kitchen. Of course they would choose the day he was leaving to be especially mean. Of course he hadn't told them he was leaving, he knew they wouldn't be able to contain their excitement. He ignored his uncle and continued packing. A few more things. There, he was done. He moved out of the room he had spent his summers in for the last six years. How he wished he could torch the house, maybe with the Dursleys in it. No, he shouldn't think like that, they were just muggles. He pulled the trunk behind him into the hall, and down the stairs, paying no mind to the gouges and scrapes the trunk produced on the walls and stairs.

"Just what do you think your doing, causing such an unnatural commotion!" Came the shriek from the kitchen, which was soon followed by the creator of the sound. His Aunt came into the entryway in full 'I-should-have-killed-the-brat-long-ago' mode. This use to mean getting wholloped with a frying pan, or more recently quite the rant, but now it didn't mean anything.

"I'm leaving." Was all he said as he closed the front door. Closing a door also on a part of his life he tried hard to forget everyday. He found an unused alley and closed his eyes, hand on the handle of his trunk. He concentrated on the road leading to the Burrow. He spun around. He felt the breath squeeze out of him, as he slid through the tube that indicated apparation. He appeared with the usual crack, right in the middle of the front drive. He walked the short way to the house looking around at the gardens and lawn. Nobody was here? That seemed strange. He walked to the front door and knocked. He heard a rustling inside and finally, after a few minutes found the door open to see the face of his first true friend. Ron smiled lightly and pulled Harry in.

They spoke of unimportant things, how normal society was still going strong, even under threat of a madman. The wedding was a nightmare, from Ron's point of view, everyone was so upset about just about everything. Both supposed that was how women were about these things. Ron explained that most of the family was out making arrangements right now. Only Ron and Charlie were there, Ron explained. The others wouldn't be back until later.

He supposed he should feel happy, maybe even a little emotional, as he looked on the happy couple being joined together, but all he managed was a little self pity. 'I wonder if I'll ever be that happy?' He stayed at the back leaning against the garden wall. There were perhaps one hundred people in attendance, crowding into the Weasley's field behind the garden. He had seen a lot of red heads in attendance, proving that there was a predisposition to large families in the Weasley blood.

* * *

Eventually the ceremony was over, now began the party, he would slip up to his and Ron's room, as he really didn't feel like partying. He stripped out of the formal robes he had worn and found some muggle cloths. Just as he was about to nod off on his bed he heard the door open. "Its usually polite to knock." Harry told the intruder without opening his eyes.

"Its usually polite to not dump your girlfriend for silly reasons!" he heard shot back at him. That proved two things to Harry. One; it was Ginny invading his privacy. Two; she was apparently angry with him.

"My reasons were fine, seeing as they all made sense. Besides I didn't hear you complain at the time."

"That's 'cause I thought you would come to your senses and realize we were meant to be together, no matter what comes our way! I didn't realize you were this thick."

"Meant to be together? What is this? A crappy romance novel? Besides doesn't something of that magnitude usually require love?"

"But I do love you Harry, I always have." She finished quietly.

"And that's part of the reason why we won't work, right there. You fell in love with the stories your mom told you as a little girl. You've been lovesick for years with a knight in shining armor. I hardly knew you before last year. I can't love you back. I've never known love, how can I give it?" He had to make her let go of him, he couldn't be with her.

"But you **are **my knight, my hero! You've saved my life and everything!"

"I'm not a hero Ginny. I'm just a kid, a kid with a destiny." A light shone in his eyes as he thought about his plans.

"You're going somewhere aren't you? Well I'm coming to!"

"I'm sorry Ginny but you can't come."

"Yes I can or I'll use my bat boogey hex on you!" she said as if this settled matters.

"I've seen men die, taken the Crucio, and had Avada Kedavra thrown at me. You think you can scare me into letting you come? You know me less then I thought you did." All of this was said quietly but it was heard without problem.

"Harry I just want to be there with you. I want to support you."

"No you cannot come, your just not mature enough for this. Please just leave now, we've been over for a while now, I've moved on. Its time you did as well."

"NO! I won't let you go!" shouting her words as though this would make him listen. Harry scowled at her.

"You don't own me. Leave. Now." Still calm. Still rational. But just barley. He knew she would cry. He knew she'd be angry with him, but if she was then she would find someone else. True to his predictions she burst into tears running from the room. He laid back down, funny thing was he didn't remember standing.

He felt the bed sink next to him, he was destined to not sleep just yet along with his other destiny. He found Hermione sitting there eyeing him. "I don't care if what I did was uncaring or anything else it needed to be done." He knew that look all to well.

"I suppose you have your reasons." Her sigh was explosive. "I just wish there was another way to do things."

"Don't we all?" smirking slightly.

"How long have you been planning on going away?" Her gaze holding his in a vice.

"A couple weeks." He could see her start to take deep breaths readying herself for a long lecture.

"You were just going to leave? Without a word to anyone, or even saying goodbye to us?"

"Why would I say goodbye to you guys?"

"Because we're your friends, Harry! We deserve it!" Her words were taking on an affronted and offended sort of tone. Harry knew he should calm her quickly.

"What I was hinting at was that I expected you guys to come with me. Not that I thought badly of you guys." She deflated. Smiling in a sort of surprised way.

"You've grown up, Harry. More than anyone seems to have realized." She leaned in to wrap her arms around him. "Who are you planning to recruit on this journey?"

"You, me, Ron, Neville, and perhaps Luna. She was the only other I could think of."

"Do you think we need five?"

"Need? No. Want? Yes. The more wands we have, the better off we'll be."

"Your right. Then do you think anyone else should come?"

"Who else would follow **me**, risking life and limb, on a journey that even I cannot fathom a guess as to when it will end."

"I see your point, I can't really think of anybody."

"I'll gather everyone up tomorrow to discuss this, but right now I really just wanna go to sleep."

"Goodnight, Harry"

"'Night, Hermione." She crept from the room as he drifted off even as he was saying goodnight.

* * *

"Hello, Mrs. Longbottom." Harry greeted the woman cordially when she answered the door. He had gone to Neville's house to pick him up for the meeting. She was almost precisely as he remembered from the image Neville had created in third year. She looked sternly at him.

"Good Afternoon, Mr. Potter. I expect you're here to see Neville?" Harry nodded, "He's out back in the garden. Just go right around the house and you'll find him." Harry looked around to decide the best way. It didn't seem to matter which direction he took. He found the house fairly average on the outside, he doubted very much if it was on the inside, the architecture, he guessed was fairly common for wizard houses. Tall and narrow, with overhangs that had no supports under them, magic being used for this.

The garden was not as he expected. What he saw would have been fit for a palace. The maze like hedges, the blooming flowers that surrounded large fountains, vines climbing walls, various birds careening about little baths. He saw Neville at what appeared to be the center, sitting under a fountain with a book in one hand and his wand in the other. "'Allo, Neville!" Harry shouted when he saw the boy. Neville looked up, startled.

"Harry? Well how about that! What are you doing here?" Neville cast the counter charm to whatever he had been doing before and the rock beside him became a bird and took flight. He rose and went to greet Harry.

"Unfortunately I seem to come as a crow does, bringing bad news. I would like you to come to a meeting. I will be there, Ron, Hermione, and Luna. We have serious business to discuss."

"Concerning You-Know-Who I suppose?"

"Yes, we as the next generation have a responsibility to prepare for what is to come."

"Of course I'll be there. Just us five?"

"Those are all I feel will follow where I lead."

"Should I expect to be gone long?

"Yes, our first stop is in Egypt, from there we will decide if we need to journey further."

"What time do you want me there?"

"Be at the Burrow by five this afternoon. I must inform Luna. See you later."

Harry stood while the others sat. He had gathered the four others in back yard, away from prying ears. "As you all know I have decided to leave Britain. I brought you all here because I cannot do this alone, and you are all I trust."

"What is out of Britain that you need?" Hermione was the first to question the reason for leaving.

"Knowledge, which I don't expect to find in Britain. There is something you must know, but I must know if you all agree to come with me." The nods all around comforted him. He cast several charms around the area. "Before Dumbledore died he was working on a project of the utmost importance. Nobody but he knew of it, until he told me. Have any of you heard of Horcruxes?" Looks of confusion greeted him, except from Luna.

"The darkest of Black Magic, the most powerful ritual known to modern wizards. The power of limited immortality." She stated this as if it was common knowledge. She saw the looks of surprise on some of the faces around her, "My mother was a spell creator, she has many books, but they only mention it in passing."

"This is true, did it describe what it does?"

"No, only what I told you."

"What a horcrux does is it splits the soul so that the soul is anchored on this plane. To do this though requires ritual sacrifice, tremendous knowledge of soul magic, and enchantment."

"So we have to find the horcrux and destroy it, then kill Voldemort? What was the info that's taking us away from Britain though?" Ron's eyes were alight with adventure.

"I wish it was that simple. Voldemort did not just create one horcrux, but seven."

"Of course! The most powerfully magical number." Hermoine seemed surprised she didn't know this already.

"And then we come to the fact that I have no idea how to destroy a horcrux. The headmaster destroyed one, and you saw his arm last year." The others eyes widened as they remembered the headmasters wizened and dead arm.

"So there are only six now?"

"Less then that, Dumbledore and I put together a list of what we believed the horcruxes were. Voldemorts Family ring, which was destroyed, The diary from second year, also destroyed. Slytherin's locket, missing presumed destroyed. Nagini, with Voldemort at all times. Hufflepuff's cup, whereabouts unknown. Something of Ravenclaw's or Gryfindor's. And of course Voldemort himself."

"So you do know how to destroy them then, you destroyed the diary."

"I stabbed it with a basilisks fang, which had one of the most potent magical substances in the world in it. And the fang was destroyed, utterly destroyed, a basilisks fang! Something that is considered nearly indestructible."

"Did you say one was missing?"

"Yea, the night Dumbledore died, we had gone to destroy it. We managed to locate it, but it was in a cave under a cliff, under blood protection, guarded by inferi, and submerged in a potion, which could only be removed by drinking it, and slowly killed the person."

"Then how is it missing? Did you lose it?"

"Dumbledore managed to get to the bottom of the container of the horcrux, but what we found was a fake left by somebody who had already retrieved the real one."

"How did you know it was a fake?"

"They left a note, saying they took it, and were searching for the others. It was signed R.A.B."

"Then we have to find that person."

"Probably already dead, someone arrogant enough to leave behind a calling card, was most likely caught trying to get another and killed."

"Okay, so where are we heading?"

"Egypt, one of the most ancient places on earth."

"Do you have any idea what you want to find there?"

"Books, teachers, I don't know." He shrugged.

"That's comforting."

"Either that or we stay here, do nothing and get cut down by Voldemort, and his followers."

"So when do we leave?"

"As soon as we get our equipment and can get transportation."

"What kind of stuff do we need?"

"Armour, weapons, amulets, maybe a few books."

"To Diagon Ally then!"

"Don't be stupid, Ron. We have to get real protection, we'll have to find true artisans who can create these things for us."

"True and I have a few contacts that have got me in touch with just the right people"

* * *

Harry took the lead as they traveled up the driveway. The house was rather large and aristocratic looking. He was about to use the knocker, when he turned towards his little group, "Keep your opinions to yourselves inside, we need his help, no matter his own opinions or disposition." Turning back to the door, he raised the knocker and tapped it three times, paused, two times, paused, once more. The door opened to reveal a house-elf. It's high voice piercing their ears.

"Sirs, and Misses will follow me to the study." With that the little creature turned and led them through the grand atrium. Down a hallway to the door at the end. Opening the door, they all stepped inside quietly. There was only three chairs in front of the desk. Hermione, Luna, and Harry sat, while Ron, and Neville amused themselves with studying the titles in the bookshelf.

Nearly half an hour later, a middle-aged man opened the door, carried through and sat behind his desk. Harry stood, "Mr. Jamison, I presume?" The man had yet to look at him closely, he seemed to be out of it, looking around them instead of at them.

"Mr. Dumbledore sent you then, Mr…?"

"Potter." The man sent him a closer look, Harry felt memories start to come to the surface, and averted his eyes to the ground.

"Well at least you know when someone is using mind arts on you even if you can't stop it. I didn't know they allowed mind arts tutoring in that old school again. Anyway, what brings you here Mr. Potter, the arms dealership isn't one I thought I would be meeting the boy-who-lived in."

"I need armor, weapons, and Mr. Dumbledore said you could do something about my wand. I will also be needing those items for my friends." Mr. Jamison looked extremely curious.

"Your wands?" he seemed to be pondering what Dumbledore could have meant by that, "Could I see your wand?" Harry pulled his wand from his pocket. "Ah I think I know what he meant. Is there any reason why you haven't had your wand customized?"

"Customized? I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"You don't know about wand customization? Preposterous! That school has been going downhill for a long time, but this is a new one. Do you remember The Dark Lord's wand Mr. Potter? I know he must have customized it at some point."

"Do you have a pensieve? I could show you, I don't remember paying attention to it, but I'm sure it would be in the pensieve memory." Mr. Jamison reached around behind him, pulling a book out, he opened the large tome but instead of pages, it opened to a pensieve sank into the book.

"You have an unusual sample of knowledge, young man, you can detect mind intrusion, yet don't know about wand customization, you know the workings of a pensieve, yet are far to young to have one." Mr. Jamison commented, Harry put his wand to his temple, and cast the charm that copied the memory, and placed it in the bowl.

"My collection of knowledge usually is connected to what will help me survive the next encounter with Voldemort." Mr. Jamison seemed to accept that.

"Shall we?" They both placed a finger to the memories.

* * *

Inside the memory, they found them selves watching Voldemort moving around his inner circle, speaking. "Come closer Mr. Potter. If you look at the Dark Lord's wand, You'll see the handle has been modified, as well as several rune enchantments have been placed along the wood, most likely there are more regular enchantments on the wand that you cannot see." Indeed Harry saw them, the handle of Voldemort's wand was made of bone, and many small squiggles, which Harry assumed to be runes, adorned the wand.

"That is wand customization, Mr. Potter." Harry looked like he had made a connection.

"Yes I see now, I have seen that before as well, On Lucius Malfoy's wand and Dumbledore's wand."

"Yes I would expect you have, though I'm curious as to what they were."

"Mr. Malfoy's wand had been made into a cane, when he drew it, he unsheathed it like a sword, the handle was a metal snake head I believe. Dumbledore's wand the only thing I noticed was the little wood ball attached to the handle, that he used to hold the wand with only three fingers."

"Ahh that does make sense. The Malfoy's have always been lovers of showing off the family wealth, a cane is a perfect use for him, the snake head was most likely decorative. On Dumbledore's he has the small ball at the end, eh, he uses that for very precise magic, much greater control, these are example's of decorative, and physical customization, what you saw on Voldemort's were all adjustments that affected the power and usage of the wand."

"How exactly does the bone and runes help the wand?"

"With wand customization you always will have to remember that everything you do to it, will have positive and negative consequences. The bone for example, most likely from someone he killed, increases his connection with death, but decreases his connection with life, much like drinking unicorn's blood, you live but not a full life. He therefore would have found an increase in power with spells dealing with the dead and souls, but a decrease in power with magic like healing or necromancy. Now he can suffer the consequences of the negative because he has a superior connection to magic than most." Hermione looked puzzled.

"Why would his necromancy workings be decreased if he has a stronger connection to death?"

"You are young so I suppose it can be forgiven. What does necromancy do?"

"Attempt to bring life…back to the dead." She looked like she was scolding herself even as she finished the sentence.

"At least you see your errors and recognize them. Now the runes that are put on most wands usually include things like adding something to the magic as it leaves the wand, an example in Dumbledore's wand. He is famous for the flaming whip that he used in battle in the last war. And many can attest that his spells give off heat and sometimes burn. This is because he added runes that produce fire in his magic. Voldemort is famous for the silver shield he uses, he added silver to his wand, he can probably do much more impressive things with it, but then again not many see him and live."

"He can create new limbs from silver." Harry said quietly, remembering the graveyard from fourth year.

"A fully functioning new limb?"

"Yes a hand, it was nimble but immensely strong, he made it for Peter Petigrew."

"Umm…Yes. Ah, you do realize that Peter Petigrew is dead, been that way for a while now."

"No he escaped, and helped resurrect Voldemort, he should be dead, but seems to have luck comparable to me."

"If that is your belief than I cannot change it. Now on to business I believe you should have another wand crafted, and you should customize your first. The best working wands are always made by the person who use them, I can offer you a manual on the different steps this includes, it is elementary but then again your will make it your own and surpass the instructions by common sense after awhile. For the customization takes much introspection to know what is your forte and also a major decision as to what you would like to add to your wand, again I have a manual and when you are ready you can return and look through some of my inventory of such things."

"Perfect. And also do you happen to have any protection amulets?"

"Do I have protection amulets? What do you suppose I do here? I am a dealer of such things. I have an enormous selection of these ranging from shields, rechargeable or one-time use, to certain pieces of jewelry that can hold an offensive or passive charm, or curse. I could create for you a cursed object that can kill, immobilize, or bewitch your enemies in whatever way you wish."

"Could I have a moment to discuss with my associates?"

"But of course" He graciously left the study closing the door.

Harry turned to Hermione, "What do you think we should get for this stuff?"

"Shields, of course, maybe a couple pieces with emergency offensive pieces, and a cursed object or two for capturing people if we need to."

"Yeah I thought so as well, any ideas what shape we should use for the offensive pieces, and what spells?"

"I think the best choice would be rings, easy to conceal and to aim." Luna interjected.

"Enchantment on them?"

"Lethal." Ron spoke up.

"Ron! That's heartless!"

"If we're in a situation where we need something like this it will almost certainly be in a life or death struggle, might as well finish them off and end it."

"Well yes but still!"

"He's right." Harry ended the debate before it started. "Now I was thinking to have an object cursed to put someone into a coma, and one to bring them out of it, easy in and out if we need to either capture, restrain or any similar situation. Some sort of necklace." His thoughts wandered back to Borgin and Burke's.

Soon after, Mr. Jamison returned. Harry relayed their purchases, and was informed that these would have to be created, as he didn't have any to those exact specifications. Harry paid for the books, and agreed to meet again to pick up the merchandise up the day after tomorrow.

The group went back to their respective homes, or places of residence to wait until they were called together again. Harry, Ron, and Hermione continued to iron out details of their trip and the mode of transportation. They still had more to do before they left the country.

* * *

A/n: Well I'm back again after such a long time, I grew tired of my old story and its endless plot holes and what are now clichés. So I have come up with something new, hopefully the writing is a little better and a little more thought out, seeing as how I have an actual outline for this project, this part of the story will be about Harry's travels and training. Learning about himself, war and society in general. I know the Ginny scene sucks, but with the way the HBP left off I had to do something about her, and I don't like her character enough to write her well enough. Please tell me what I could do better. And the putting spaces where they dont belong kinda ticks me off. 


	2. Preperations

Chapter 2

* * *

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna and Neville would meet every other day or so. Harry and Hermione were staying at Ron's house for now and the others would come over now and then. Mrs. Weasley puttered about the house, just cleaning and knitting occasionally. Mr. Weasley was working late often, the number of muggle baiting incidents had risen exponentially since Voldemort's re-appearance at the end of fifth year. The twins were at the shop all day, and Bill was staying at his flat. Harry and Hermione used the time for working out problems, and learning about making the new wands.

That was going to take awhile, none of them expected to finish for months, just the time used to find the components was staggering, there was defenently something to be said for instant gratification. The manual was, as promised, elementary and hardly step-by-step. The best advice out of it though was that the best way to learn was to do. So, Harry bought a bunch of supplies, cheap things that wouldn't make good wands, but would make good practice, ash wood, maple, pine, and different cores, mostly things he found in the apothecary, unicorn horn, dragon heartstring, acromantula fang. The hardest part was that soon after the early stages, you couldn't really use magic on it; the core would interfere and mutate the spell. Of course it was a long process and the early stages were time consuming even with magic.

First was to fashion the wood into manageable length, Harry had used the same length as his own wand because he had it handy, then you had to crack it down the middle and cut out the placement for the core, of course you could expand the inside to fit the core, but you didn't want it to big, as Harry found out, otherwise the magic would not come in contact with the core and dissipate. The biggest part of this was the magic you had to use on the core, otherwise it was just a piece of an animal, you had to make it accept and magnify magic doing this made the core into a superconductor for magic. The spell was simple enough, even given in the book, but the first thing he learned though was that it needed tweaking. Leading to a crash course in arithmancy.

The spell would do its job, but on the more powerful cores, like the dragon, it made them unstable, one even disappeared after someone used a summoning charm in the same room, others just blew up. Eventually he found out that one of the words of the spell kind of crippled it, and had to be replaced. The new spell was written in several places so no one would forget.

The oddest feeling came over him at random times, like there was someone there with him, even when his friends were not there. Things moved about the room behind his back, like someone had inspected it and set it back down in a different spot. He asked Mrs. Weasley if they had a poltergeist in the Burrow, she just sighed and said, "We haven't before, but I wouldn't put it past Fred and George to bring one here to entertain themselves." Nothing happened to him so he forgot about it and dismissed it when it happened again.

* * *

Harry came in contact with Mr. Jamison again almost a week after their order had been placed, Harry returned alone to pick up the order. He gathered everyone together to give them out. The medallions were small and engraved with runes, yet they could feel the power in them, Mr. Jamison said they could block many spells, up to the medium level range of dark spells, things that could be assassination spells, they were rechargeable and the shield would hold until the magic in the medallion was gone. The instructions were fairly easy to recharge them, there was a rune that stood out from the rest on the back, you apparently put you wand there and did a certain spell that let the energy off, not useful for fighting, as magical creatures, humans included, could absorb the magic, but was used in testing wards and doing things like this. 

The emergency rings were simple bands, Jamison said that they would shoot off a wave of heat so intense that they themselves would likely be scorched in the blast and would literally cause the air to catch fire, saying nothing for the person it was aimed at, the way to set it off was to channel your magic into the hand which would offset the delicate trigger spell. They all wore these on their off hands, and were sure to practice moving magic in their channels away from that hand.

The cursed items were exquisite, chains of fine gold and silver, the gold one would cause the person to go into a coma seconds after it was placed on the neck, and the silver would bind their magic. Both could only be taken off by the person who put it on. They were unsure if they would ever use them or not.

* * *

"Two days from now we set off, we'll take a series of portkeys to southern Italy and then we'll catch a carpet across the Mediterranean. Good?" Harry knew they knew but he needed to remind them for his own sake, he **had** never been out of the country, hell he had barely been out of southern England and the one place in Scotland. 

"We know! Harry calm down, you'll give yourself a heart attack at this rate." As always Hermione was there to be the rational, reasonable one.

"Fine, I'll be working on my wand until then." He stood and stalked from the room, Hermione followed.

"So, Neville. Fancy a match?" Ron said even as he pulled out the board.

"I guess…"

"I'll be reading outside." Luna informed them as she went on her way.

Inside the little work shop out in the barn, Harry was studying the different pieces of the wand lain about the desk.

"What else needs to be done?" Hermione asked from the doorway.

"It needs to be put together, than I want to put a couple runes on it to see if I can do them right now, or if I need to study a bit more." Harry was already setting the ready dragon heartstring into the cavity in the wood, placing the two pieces together, he let his magic flow out his arm, intent on making the wood one piece again. Slowly it started fusing, the crack was receding into the wood as seconds ticked by. Finally the shaft of the wand was again singular, now with a magical core inside, he picked up the handle he had crafted and used his wand this time to fuse it, taking nearly no time at all.

He took a small blade, and carefully sketched runes he had written on some parchment next to him, onto the wood. Then he made them deeper after checking he had done them right, finally he used a variant of the medallion charging spell that came in his wand manual to charge the runes. He had done easy ones, things like preventing it from being snapped, caught on fire, warped, or cut in any way. Now was the test to see if his wand was usable.

"You might want to stand back." Hermione had moved closer as he worked watching in fascination, now she went towards the door.

He aimed his wand towards a jar across the barn, "Accio." The jar exploded, leaving a fine dust to settle to the floor. "I suppose that means that that wand isn't exactly compatible with me, I wonder if it does the same thing every time, or if its random?" Another jar stood near where the other had once been. "Accio." This jar turned into water, spilling to the floor. "You wanna see if its compatible to you?"

After much testing, including the other Weasleys at the Burrow, it was decided to belong to Fred, who had lackluster use of it, but it still didn't mutate spells so wildly as it had for everyone else, it was just weak, stronger than his wandless, but still weaker than his Olivander. He actually enjoyed it, seeing it as something not everyone got, the first wand of as new wandmaker. He had taken to using it for small things he had down to rote, only pulling out his regular wand when needed. The worst with it had actually been George, it would do absolutely nothing for him, one time he had cast the strongest charm he knew, Flammarae Maximus, and it did nothing but fizzle a single spark at the end of the wand.

* * *

It was after midnight, Harry stood outside listening to the silence, when he caught the sound of something incredibly strange, a snore? He knew for a fact all the Weasley were inside, he passed it off as a gnome, but when he heard the tail end of a mutter, he knew something was wrong. Casting a silencing ward over himself he followed the sound to the garden bench around the side of the house, he heard the breathing but saw nothing, then it clicked. 

Someone had been watching him. All the weird things happening, the strange feeling of being watched, was because someone invisible **was** watching him. He neared towards the person, but he felt magic pass over his skin, next second the breathing stopped and he was sure the person had woken, 'damn proximity wards!' Harry thought, saying "Incendio, sectumsempra, caedes. Intruder!" The last was a yell, very loud.

The cloak was caught on fire, it was quickly thrown off even as the man leaped to the side, erecting a shield. It was Draco Malfoy. He was nervous, sweating, unsure of himself, in light of this vicious attack. He hesitated.

Harry was surprised as well, that they sent this rodent to watch him, he couldn't even kill an old defenseless man, did Voldemort not know? Harry lowered his wand, sighing almost as if he was hoping for a challenge. "Go away Malfoy, before you get hurt." Watching him, waiting.

It looked for a moment as if Malfoy would bolt, but then he stood a little straighter, "You'll be the one getting hurt, Potter, maybe no one told you but **I **killed Dumbledore."

"Look drop it Malfoy, I know you didn't kill Dumbledore, you didn't have the balls to take his life, you cried all year long to a ghost because you didn't have it in you to kill, you certainly have a cruel streak, but you're still just a child. I was there, not able to help, as you hesitated, and Snape eventually finished your job." Malfoy was astounded that Harry knew. He had expected, outrage, fury, maybe disbelief, but not that he had been there and had seen his weakness.

"Crucio." Malfoy's cold rage took over, Harry dived sideways, and shot back a cutting curse. Malfoy raised a shield and threw an explosion hex towards Harry's head. Harry knew in that moment that this was for keeps. Harry waiting for a split second as Malfoy waited for the hex to hit, and then moved out of the way, diving towards his opponent, smashing his elbow into Malfoy's sternum, then laying a crucio on him, it held.

Screams, it seemed to echo off of everything and then return two fold. Harry dropped the curse in surprise that it held, seeming to realize that he had finally made it work. He stunned the twitching Malfoy, and drug him inside. Putting the gold chain around Malfoy's neck. He pondered what to do with the boy. Then inspiration hit him, he dashed off to his room for a book.

* * *

The light from the spell was continuous as Harry held it to Malfoy, letting it go about its business, the spell was burning a lightning bolt onto Malfoy's shoulder. Which smoked and bled. Finally it finished, leaving Malfoy branded, feeling odd, like something just on the edge of consciousness was hanging about his mind, he realized it was Malfoy's mind.

* * *

"You did WHAT?" Was the scream directed into Harry's ear, Harry had woken and informed everybody of what had happened the night before, but apparently Hermione objected to it. 

"Well I used the Servus bond him. What's the problem?"

"You made Malfoy your slave? Oh yes I can see why there should be no problem with this." Sarcasm dripped to the floor.

"Well he can't hurt us now, or go back to Voldemort, or hurt other people. It seemed like a good idea at the time." He finished mutinously. Ron was laughing in the background waiting for the okay to wake Malfoy up.

"So slavery's okay for our enemies is it?"

"I needed to do something Hermione!" Harry finally got angry, "Would you have preferred I had just killed him?" he shouted back.

"There has to be another way! Slavery is not okay!" She yelled right back.

"Maybe he'll learn something, I have seen him at his weakest, he can be changed, he is still just a kid."  
"Who made you judge, jury, and executioner, huh?"

"I did! I'll do what needs to be done no matter the little moral quibbles you have over it! That's it! Discussion over."

"The end doesn't justify the means, Harry. There has to be morals for people to live with each other."

"The end is all that matters right now, maybe during peace time your right, but in war you're not."

"Do you want to become like Voldemort?" She shouted, then almost immediately put her hand over her mouth, "oh Harry, I shouldn't have said that, I'm so sorry."

"No its okay." Was all Harry said, his voice and face cold with anger as he walked away.

"Good one Hermione." Ron congratulated.

"What should I do, I mean he didn't look like he wanted company? I mean I might just make him angrier."

"Go talk to him, we don't need you two fighting if we're going to be going abroad." Hermione gave Ron a quick hug of thanks, and hurried off up the stairs.

* * *

Ron turned to Malfoy, and coming to a decision took the gold necklace off. Malfoy seemed to be coming around after a few minutes. "Where am I?" He asked, drowsy and still partially asleep. 

"Welcome to the Burrow, Malfoy, though we have found out that you know this place thoroughly by now don't you." Malfoy became alert instantly as his memory returned, he was in enemy territory in which the leader wasn't afraid to apply the crucio.

"Now where is the Master, I…" The words 'The Master' had not been in his mind when he thought of what to say, he was almost sure it had been 'scarhead' as a matter of fact. Weasley must know something about this. "Alright Weasel what spell did you put on me?"

"Me? Not a one. Don't get your hopes up though, I plan to." Malfoy stood, he needed to escape now, and report to his Lord that he had been compromised. He would be punished, but maybe if he brought with him the Weasel he would get away with his life. Worth a shot.

"Enough of these games," Malfoy pulled a vial from his pocket, and hurled it to the floor in front of Ron. He coughed, hacking, falling to the floor, as the fumes from the vial rose into his face. Malfoy grabbed the wand from Weasley's hand, stunned the boy, and levitated him. Malfoy made a sprint to the door and down the street, Ron in tow.

* * *

Hermione stood outside Harry's door, hand poised to knock, screwing up her courage she finally tapped the door. Nothing. She sighed and opened it up and went inside. "Is that what you really see in me? Him?" Harry was sitting in a chair reading, and had spoken so quietly that Hermione almost didn't hear. 

"No Harry, please, I didn't mean it like that…I… I just don't want to hurt people, I never have, and I don't like it when you hurt people. I know you have to do some things that aren't nice, but it was such a shock that you did that to someone that I didn't know what to do but yell and try to make you see my side of it."

"Do you think I like hurting people for no reason, destroying lives, and all of that?" His voice was again angry, edged with sadness.

"Look Harry I don't want to fight about it again, please, I just wanted to say I sorry for saying that, I don't want you mad at me." He looked up at her finally and saw her sincerity, and gave up the anger.

"I shouldn't have been so mad either, I …" Harry eyes were glazed as if he weren't there any more, "Malfoy escaped."

"What? Impossible, he's in a coma. Besides the fact, how do you know?"

"The bond gives me a signal when Malfoy gets to far away."

"Then we have to go get him! What are you sitting there for!"

"The bond makes it impossible for him to go a certain distance without my express permission. If he does, he'll be knocked unconscious and the bond will tell me. Now we just have to go collect him."

They both stood and made their way out of the room, down the stairs. "How much do you know of about this bond, Harry?"

"Only what was in the book, things like I have no control over the bond, it forces Malfoy to call me 'The Master', it doesn't let him escape, he can't harm me, he cant say anything bad about me, and that he has to follow any instructions I give him."

"Do you know if you can break the bond then? Because if you can we really should try to find something else to do with him."

"Even if I did know how, or if it was possible, I wouldn't." With that Harry sped up and out of the house, leaving Hermione with the distinct impression that he didn't want to talk about it any more.

* * *

Harry found the most unusual sight when he finally came upon the two. There was Malfoy face in the dirt, unconscious, and Ron unconscious floating a couple feet away. Checking Ron, he found some sort of dust on his shirt and face, Hermione didn't know what it was either, so they floated both back inside and sat them down. Harry took off Malfoy's ropes. 

"Wake up, Draco." Malfoy snapped awake.

"What do you want…Master." Malfoy struggled to say what he wanted but it came out master just the same.

"Watch the insolence." Harry watched as Malfoy's eyes grew angry and he tried to open his mouth but he could not. "Good, now we can get down to business, you Malfoy are now my slave. Through this bond I control your physical free will, I cannot control your thoughts, but I'm sure my charm will be persuasive enough."

"Why didn't you just kill me? It would have been better than this humiliation." Malfoy was very quite as he said this.

"Because I saw it in you Malfoy, you can be a normal person, I don't want you to turn out like your father or you aunt, or like some of the rest of Voldemort's gang, and to do this I am going to keep you away from the influence these people bring. So here come your first orders, you can't harm my friends, you can't harm yourself," he paused here as Malfoy flinched like he had been caught doing something wrong, was the boy really that humiliated by this, then Harry thought of course he was, he was use to having slaves not being one, "You can't tell our secrets, and how do we fix Ron."

"He'll wake up in a few hours."

"Eventually you'll be free, for you to earn your freedom you have to do something of great magnitude, like save one of our lives or something, or if I get the feeling you will never change."

"I suggest you never let me free Master, because the first thing I do will be to kill all of you."

"No threatening us, and I don't control when you go free, the bond does."

"What do we do now, Master."

"We're leaving since you ask, I would have thought you knew that from watching the house?"

"So you're goin to take me with you then?"

"Well I suppose I could lock you into a small cage with a never ending supply of food and water. If you want."

"Yes master I will accompany you,…gladly." Malfoy ground out.

"Good. Good. Don't mess around with us Draco, I'm sure Ron will be up to punishing you when he wakes if you give us good reason."

* * *

A/N: (other wise known as my time to bitch) Well this would be longer, I wanted to get to Eygpt in this chapter, but alas it became to long. Also I just want to say that this would be formatted properly with tabs on each paragraph, it was when I wrote it, but it didn't show up that way on the preview, I went through the story on FF.nut's document manager and tabed it all out, then tried to preview it again, and poof, all gone. So if you care about that, blame them, not me. 


End file.
